1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a backlight unit usable with a flat image display apparatus, and, more particularly, to a supporting member for a backlight unit supporting a diffuser plate in the backlight unit usable with a flat image display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display apparatus is an image display apparatus using liquid crystals to display images and is used for various display apparatuses such as a television (TV), a computer monitor, etc.
The liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel assembly, which includes a backlight unit and a liquid crystal panel. The backlight unit is disposed behind the liquid crystal panel.
The backlight unit may be an edge-lit backlight unit which includes light sources disposed on a side of the liquid crystal panel and needs a light guide plate, and a direct-lit backlight unit which includes light sources disposed below the liquid crystal panel and does not need the light guide plate.
As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the direct-lit backlight unit 1 has the light sources 3, which are disposed below the liquid crystal panel, and a supporting member 7 to prevent a diffuser plate 5 and optical sheets from sagging.
For reducing the manufacturing cost of the image display apparatus using the direct-lit backlight unit, the number of the light sources may be decreased and the thickness of the diffuser plate may be increased. However, if the number of the light sources 3 of the related art direct-lit backlight unit 1 is decreased and the thickness of the diffuser plate 5 is increased, the shadows 9 of the related art supporting member 7 may appear on a screen 2 due to light L emitted from the light sources 3.
Therefore, there is a need for a support structure which does not project the shadows on the screen, in the image display apparatus using the direct-lit backlight unit, even when the number of the light sources is decreased and the thickness of the diffuser plate is increased.